Mercury Prize 2013: David Bowie

The artist

At 66, David Bowie is the oldest nominee in the shortlist for this year's Mercury Prize.

He brings with him the biggest body of work too; The Next Day is his 24th studio album.

Bowie has been a huge figure in the music industry for more than four decades.

In 1972 he introduced his flame haired alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust, who now has a blue plaque in central London.

He is a fashion icon as well as a musician, credited with inspiring artists from Lady Gaga to The Killers.

Bowie is notoriously private these days. He is rarely seen in public and has not done any interviews about this album.

The album

On Bowie's 66th birthday in January this year, the first track, Where Are We Now? appeared without warning on the internet.

It was the first time Bowie had released new material in 10 years and he worked with long time collaborator Tony Visconti.

"We never spent more than two to three weeks at a time recording and then we might take off as much as two months," Visconti said about the process.

"We usually work on one or two songs an afternoon and we whip them up into shape where they sound like great rock tracks.

"At that point there won't be any final vocals, any final lyrics, this is actually the same way I've been working with him since The Man Who Sold The World."

What the judges say

"You are never quite sure what he is going to come up with," said Simon Frith, head of the judging panel for the Mercury Prize.

"It reminds you what a great artist he is and people tend to forget one of his great skills - he does write great tunes which are very distinctive.

"You can immediately hear a David Bowie tune that's influenced a lot of people.

"Also you just have a very strong sense of somebody who believes he's got a lot to say and wants to say it."

The odds

It was no surprise to see David Bowie on the list, he was the one name everyone seemed to be sure of.

He was the frontrunner when the list was announced in September but has since moved down with most places offering odds of 11/2.

The big question is whether the notoriously private man will even turn up to the ceremony, which usually sees all nominated artists perform live.

Bowie has not performed any of his latest album live and has made no suggestion he will, although he is one of the favourites to headline Glastonbury in 2014.

The winner will be announced on 30 October at a ceremony at London's Roundhouse venue.

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